The time service of the U. S. Naval Observatory has continued regularly to send out daily telegraphic time signals at noon, seventy-fifth meridian time, with an average error for the year of only 0s 15. The widespread importance of this service is shown by the fact that it furnishes absolute standard time not only for navigators at all the principal seaports, but for the entire country except the Pacific Coast, which gets a similar signal from the Naval Observatory at the Mare Island Yard. Moreover, all of this invaluable service is rendered to the country at no expense whatever to the Government, inasmuch as it is merely incidental to the work and facilities required for the rating of chronometers for naval vessels.

To illustrate the wide distribution of this time signal, it is of interest to record the fact that it goes out daily over the wires of the Western Union Telegraph Company, the Postal Telegraph Company, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, the electrical department of the District of Columbia, and the National Electric Supply Company. There are now 18 Government time-balls and some 40,-000 public and private clocks corrected daily by naval time signals.

The entire series of noon signals sent out daily over the wires is shown graphically in the accompanying diagram. This represents the signals as they would be recorded on a chronograph, where a pen draws a line upon a sheet of paper moving along at a uniform rate beneath it, and is actuated by an electro-magnet so as to make a jog at every tick of the transmitting clock. The electric connections of the clock are such as to omit certain seconds, as shown by the breaks in the record. These breaks enable anyone who is listening to a sounder in a telegraph or telephone office to recognize the middle and end of each minute, especially the end of the last minute, when there is a longer interval that is followed by the noon signal. During this last long interval, or 10-second break, those who are in charge of time balls and of clocks that are corrected electrically at noon throw their local lines into circuit so that the noon signal drops the time balls and corrects the clocks.

This series of noon signals is sent continuously over the wires all over the United States for an interval of five minutes immediately preceding noon. For the country east of the Rocky Mountains the signals are sent out by the Observatory at Washington and end at noon of the 75th meridian, standard time, corresponding to 11 a. m. of the 90th meridian and 10 a. m. of the 105th meridian. For the country west of the Rocky Mountains they are sent out by the Observatory at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, and end at noon of the 120th meridian, the standard time meridian of the Pacific Coast. The transmitting clock U.S.Noval Observatory Tele graphic Time Signals begin at 11:55 AM..,standard time, and continue for five minutes. During this interval every tick of the clock is transmitted over the wires except the 29th second of each minute, the last five seconds of each of the first four minutes, and finally the last ten seconds of the last minute. The noon, signal is a longer contact after this longer break

Note:The signal from the Naval Observatory at Washington, for the country of the Rocky Mts. is noon_of the 75th meridian west from Greenwich,corresponding to 11 A.M., 9Oth meridian and 10 A.M., 105th meridian. From the Observatory at Mare Id. Navy Yd. for the Pacific Coastitis l20th meridian time.